Foothill Transit, a public transport agency serving the San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys in Southern California, is furthering its sustainability efforts with the introduction of Axess EVO-FC buses to its fleet. Manufacturer ElDorado National (ENC) will produce the buses in Riverside, CA.
ENC is a subsidiary of REV Group and has been focussing on zero-emission technology for some time. The portfolio includes the battery-electric models and the hydrogen model Foothill Transit just opted for.
The 19 Axess EVO-FC buses feature BAE Systems’ Gen3 electric propulsion system which ENC utilises as a structural powertrain across both platforms since October 2022. The 125kW hydrogen fuel cell comes from Plug Power and BAE and ENC consider the system the best-in-class. The onboard fuel cells offer a range of up to 400 miles and a refueling time of just 12 to 20 minutes.
“The Axess EVO-FC is the perfect addition to Foothill Transit’s zero-emissions fleet,” said Mike Ammann, Vice President of Sales, ENC. He emphasized ENC’s commitment to advancing alternative fuel buses that empower transit authorities to operate in a more environmentally sustainable manner.
ENC is currently accepting orders for the Axess EVO-FC buses, as well as their complete range of zero-emissions buses. The bus manufacturer in 2018 became the first manufacturer to complete the rigorous 12-year/500,000-mile FTA Altoona test for a hydrogen fuel cell bus.
For Foothill Transit it is not the first fuel cell bus. The agency in autumn 2021 opted for New Flyer’s hydrogen model and ordered 20 vehicles as reported. The company also has several battery-electric buses built by Proterra in its fleet. Proterra also supplies batteries to ENC to power its BEV bus model.
Keyword: Foothill Transit grows fuel-cell-electric bus fleet